As promised, "Scarlet Winter" joins the collection of fics that feature a Post-Credits Scene, so let's get down to it!
Enjoy the reading!
SCARLET WINTER
Post-Credits Scene
A motorcycle rushes through the streets of New Orleans, parading on the city as the rider navigates in search of one place in particular. After a long ride, he parks nearby a vegetal shrubbery and pulls out a red talisman that starts to glow intensely in his hand.
"This must be the place" the rider ponders in his mind, slowly approaching the shrubbery until the talisman glows harder, signaling the exact location he was looking for. He holds the talisman and the glow fires a small energy beam at the shrubbery, revealing a large gate that opens slowly and shows a large building in the distance.
The motorcycle rolls down the entranceway, approaching the building where he hopes to find what he is looking for. As soon as he reaches the main entrance, the sound of trembling is roaring through, becoming louder and louder as he gets off the bike.
"Lookout!" the voice of a boy is heard and right then a group of different children rush through the door, followed by Zelma Stanton.
"Omigod! Sir, lookout!" Zelma warns the man who simply looks at the door and right then a creature runs towards them with Doctor Strange trying to contain it.
"Don't let it leave the premises!" Strange warns the group and just as the creature passes by the rider, he grabs it from its tail and drags it towards him, holding it by the neck "Sir! I advise you to release it, only Hellfire can harm it" he warns the man as he holds the creature, which keeps squirming on his hold.
"Is that so?" the man asks ad right then he charges his arm with a bio-kinetic energy that combines with a orange tint energy that covers the creature in fire, burning it to the point of reducing it to ashes "There goes the rest of the enhancement" he mutters after he sees the creature burn down and then looks at his arm, noticing the charred remains of the jacket's sleeve "Aw man, I really liked this jacket".
The man looks around, seeing the students whispering and muttering to each other as they all focus on his metallic arm, fixating their eyes at the red star insignia, a logo that Strange recognizes.
"Barnes?" Strange asks him, just as the man takes off his helmet, revealing his identity, prompting the students to gasp.
"It's the Winter Soldier!" one of the female students exclaims giddily.
"Strange" Barnes salutes him and then nods to the students and Zelma as a greeting, and then he looks at the entrance, right when Daimon Hellstrom, Magik and Nico Minoru rush towards Strange.
"You caught that thing?" Hellstrom asks but stops when he sees Bucky "Barnes? What the #$%& are you doing here?" he asks but then notices the ashes on his feet "I guess it was you who took care of that creature" he comments, recalling that it was him who gave Bucky's bionic arm its magic enhancements.
"Burned the last of it" Bucky replies, looking back at Hellstrom "And hey, you're finally wearing a shirt!" he teases him, seeing how he is no longer going shirtless.
"No thanks to that friend of yours" Hellstrom replies with annoyance.
"It was two weeks ago, stop whining" Bucky quips back at him.
"Retaking Daimon's earlier question, what are you doing here James?" Strange steps in to inquire, to which Bucky looks at him with calm demeanor.
"Simply, I'm looking for one of your teachers" Bucky replies.
"May I ask why?" Strange asks him, keeping his serious tone.
"I'm taking her out on a date" Bucky replies, prompting gasps of surprise from the students and the female members of the staff.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH" the students tease after hearing him say that.
"Who could it be?" one of the female students asks, looking at Zelma.
"Oh it's not me, he said teacher, not assistant" Zelma comments "Although he is really cute" she whispers.
"Don't look at me, I have a girlfriend" Nico Minoru comments, thus discarding herself from the suspects.
"I don't think he's referring to me" Magik comments "But I wouldn't object to that date" she whispers to Nico.
"Bucky?" another voice is heard, revealing to be the Scarlet Witch's, emerging from the entrance with a wide smile and starry eyes.
"Hi" Bucky greets her with a wide smile, seeing her rushing towards him to greet him with a big hug.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH" the students and Zelma tease again, while Nico laughs, Magik and Hellstrom look with indifference and Strange facepalms at the students' attitude.
"You came" Wanda whispers while she looks at him lovingly.
"I told you I'd come" Bucky whispers, smiling at her and then giving her a soft kiss on her lips.
"AAAWWWWWWWW" Zelma and the female students react to the kiss.
"Ready? I mean, if you're not busy" Bucky asks her while he holds her hands, to which Wanda shakes her head in denial.
"Don't worry, I already fulfilled my schedule, so just a sec" Wanda replies, stepping back to use her magic to change her attire, transforming her Scarlet Witch attire to a blue dress with red and white details, complete with red boots "Ready" she smiles at him, once again holding his hands.
"Let's go then" Bucky smiles at her, taking her to his bike, with her holding tightly to his chest as soon as she boards the bike, but then she uses her magic to restore the burnt sleeve of his jacket.
"Thanks for that" Bucky comments and then he gives her a red helmet "Here you go" he tells her, waiting for her to put it on so he could start the bike and leave the Academy to the amazement of some of the staff members.
"The Pretender gets a date?" Magik asks with a mix of surprise and disdain, while Nico once again laughs.
"At least she's happy again" Nico points out "I'd feel the same if Karolina shows up here" she admits.
"What do women see in that guy?" Hellstrom asks with evident jealousy.
"Want me to make the list?" Zelma asks the rhetorical question, poking fun at him, yet Strange is the one who cuts off the conversation.
"Enough of menial talk, everyone back inside" Strange speaks with annoyance, walking back to the Academy as the rest of the staff and students follow, all the while Bucky and Wanda leave the premises to their first date.
"Where are we going?" Wanda asks him as she holds tight onto him.
"Wherever the road takes us" Bucky replies, wanting to surprise her as for their destination, but they both do not seem to mind where will they go, as long as they spend the day together, as it should always be from now on.
This s the part where you'd see "Scarlet Witch and the Winter Soldier will return" but honestly, I don't think I'll revisit these characters again for a long fic, maybe more references to their relationship in future fics, but that's it.
I'll see you in my other projects!